Looking for a Happy Ending
by Caraluna
Summary: Elizabeth and Jason go back to Jake's five years after their first meeting looking for a happy ending. Complete


**_I really don't know where this came from... I wanted to post it last week for the Liason anniversary, but I wasn't sure about it. I'm still not sure about the end result so feel free to say you hate it. Please leave feedback! I really want to know how much I suck or how brilliant is my writing, though anything in between is fine too. Hope you all enjoy this._****

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**Looking for a Happy Ending (c)**

Elizabeth made her way into the rundown bar and a flush of memories invaded her senses. The place was the same. Nothing had change in 5 years, nothing and everything at the same time. The place held so many dreams and unfinished plans and memories. Memories, most of all. She could tell her life story by pointing at different place around the bar. She remembered everything and she could only regret one thing, walking away.

She sat on a table for two and asked for a club soda when the waitress came to take the order. A couple minutes later she was drinking and listening to the music from the juke box. She didn't noticed when an older blond woman called her name.

"Elizabeth."

She blinked and found Jake standing in front of her. "Jake? Oh my God! What are you doing here?"

"Can I sit down?"

"Yes. Sit. It's been so long since I've seeing you. How's everything going?"

"Good. I was on my way back to New Orleans, but I had to stop and see this place. Coleman is doing a good job with it. I was worried about it, but it looks good."

"Yeah, I was just remembering all those years ago. Remember when Emily and I used to dressed up and snick in to play pool?"

"Of course I do. I also remember getting all pissed off and Jason asking me to let you guys in with the condition that you wouldn't make trouble."

"I guess we never did live our end of the deal."

"No you didn't. But Jason was always around to make sure you were safe. How is he, by the way?"

"Fine, I guess."

"Are things not going well between the two of you?"

"It's been a long time since things have being well between me and Jason."

"If you want to talk, I have time."

"I wouldn't want to impose my problems on you. And this is a long story."

"It wouldn't be imposing." Jake looked at the waitress and asked her for two beers. When the waitress brought them she added. "And keep them coming."

"I shouldn't drink alcohol."

"Why not?"

"I'm breastfeeding."

"You have a baby!" A warm smile appeared on the face of the older woman. "Well, things between you and Jason shouldn't be as bad then." Elizabeth's face paled and she was about to speak but she couldn't find her voice. "I always thought you two would make beautiful babies. How old is the little bit? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"He is almost six month old. But Jason is not the father of my baby."

"He's not? Oh my God, I'm so sorry Elizabeth. I don't know when I became such a blabbermouth. I didn't mean to intrude or anything. It was just a natural assumption. When I left for New Orleans you two where leaving together and I just assumed...I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Don't worry, I mean for all you knew Jason and I should've... You know what, thinking about it I still have tomorrow's bottles ready for Cam, so I don't think that it would be that much of a difference if I drink a beer."

Elizabeth lifted the beer bottle and downed half in one gulp. "Whoa, slow down girl."

"I'm okay. Jason and I are an unfinished business. A month and two weeks after moving in, we ended up breaking up and I moved out."

"That had to be difficult. I mean having everything you ever wanted and loosing it so shortly after. I wouldn't even pretend to understand what the two of you had, but every time you guys came here and played pool or went for bike rides it seemed like the real deal."

"The sad thing is that I realized that a little too late."

"Well I guess sometimes things don't turn out the way one hopes for. But I guess you did find a happy ending, I mean you having a baby and all."

Elizabeth's face turn somber again and Jake took another gulp of her beer. "I said something wrong again, didn't I?"

"Things in my life are a little more complicated than that. But to answer your question, no there's no happy ending for me."

**_So much for my happy ending...  
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._  
**

Jake stayed with Elizabeth for over two hours and she got the complete download on Elizabeth Webber-Lansing-Webber- Lansing- Webber's life. She couldn't believe how wrong things seemed to go on the young girl's life. It seemed as if the petite brunette had a debt to pay for a mistake on another life or something. After talking and drinking, and drinking and talking some more, Jake realized that it was late and she had to take the road if she wanted to make a good time on her long trip. They said good bye, but not before Jake reminded Elizabeth of something important.

"The game is not over yet, Elizabeth. You're still young and Fate knows what is doing, sometimes it takes a couple of falls and two or three end roads to finally arrive where we are supposed to be. A full circle sometimes takes time."

"What does that mean?"

"That you said it yourself, there's too many unfinished business in your life. Maybe, just maybe you'll get your happy ending after all."

Both women hugged and Elizabeth waved as Jake made her way out of the bar. She sat down, asked for another beer and listened to the song on the jukebox.

_**Let's talk this over  
It's not like we're dead  
Was it something I did?  
Was it something you said?**_

She wasn't completely truthful with Jake. Hell she wasn't truthful with herself, the reason she was out, alone and at Jake's of all places was because of him, Jason Morgan. When she woke up and saw her calendar she realized it was their anniversary. The fifth anniversary of a tortured battered and abuse friendship. How tragic could she be? Not everything was bad. He made at least 7 of the top 10 best moments of her life. With a sigh, she felt a hard pang on her stomach, she still wanted a chance with him and she knew that that boat had sailed a long time ago.

She finished her fifth beer when another song started to play. She lifted her head to look at the jukebox and smiled. _American Woman, _the song had completed the déjà vu. She shook her head and remembered that night. And as soon as she closed her eyes a man made his way to her table.

The blond and well built man took a sit opposite to her and put his hand on hers. Elizabeth's eyes opened immediately at the unannounced contact. Finding a pair of blue eyes looking back at her she moved her hand away.

"I noticed you've been alone for a while. Why is a beautiful woman like you sitting alone?"

"I like being alone, so if you'll excuse me I'll like to remain that way."

"A loner, are you. Come on, let's dance and I'll assure you you'll have a good time."

He stood up and extended his hand to her.

"In my country this means 'want to dance'."

"And in my country this means 'no thank you'."

The tall man grabbed Elizabeth by her elbow and stood her up abruptly. He put his arm around her waist and moved her further into the improvised dance floor. "That's much better."

Elizabeth struggled to get away from him but, he had a good grip on her waist, so she had to resort to yelling. "Get your hands off me! I said I didn't want to dance. Let go of me!"

Jason walked into the bar and the image in front of him brought back memories he had being trying to forget for the past 24 hours. He was never big on remembering anniversaries or special dates, at least he used to forget about them when the person it concerned walked out of his life, but with her it was always different. He remembered their first Christmas, the day she saved his life on the boxcar, and the day he went away. He remembered April 5, 2001, the day she walked away. He also remembered the day they kissed for the first time and almost made love, and the fateful night on October 8, 2002 when she walked away. But most of all he remembered this date, the day when it all began, the anniversary of their more than friendship and their first bike ride together. August 27, 1999.

He walked in wanting to drink himself silly and forget everything that happened the last few years in his life. He wanted to be numb and unaffected by the one that got away... the one he'd loved so much and was never able to tell face to face.

He wanted to forget Elizabeth Webber once and for all, so he went on a bike ride and ended up on the road to nowhere, memories of their last bike ride invaded him and he couldn't handle being there without her. Then he speed up and went back to Vista Point, thinking that maybe, because the last time he was there had being with Courtney, her presence might have faded away, no such luck. Her smell was everywhere, her soft and silent tears... her full lips sweet and sensual as he kissed her and then walked away. He couldn't believe his luck, she was everywhere... in the docks, at the park and even the old bridge that used to be his memory of Robin.

He used to believe that once things where over, the meaning of the places where gone too. And for him it used to work. He didn't think of having sex with Carly every time he played pool or in Robin when he went to the beach. Why was it that he couldn't stop seeing the ghost of what could have been with Elizabeth everywhere? _Because it never really ended_, a voice in the back of his head murmured softly.

His thoughts were interrupted by the loud scream. He saw the couple out in the middle of the room. The woman dressed in black leather that had being dancing when he came in was now standing over the blond man, who now lay on the floor.

"I said let go. Now in my country this means don't ever put your filthy hands on me again."

Jason was frozen in place. Her long brown hair, her petite frame and stone cold words... He walked closer to her then.

"Elizabeth?"

The bar was almost empty. A couple was still playing poll on one of the tables and two dockworkers where still drinking rum in the back. Jason was watching her as she picked out a song from the jukebox and moved back to sit down across from him. Her right hand was still red but her knuckles weren't swollen.

"How is your hand?"

"Better."

"I guess you're ready to be my backup, then." He said with a half smile.

"She smiled then and met his gaze for the first time since they've been sitting at the table together. "Excuse me? I was the one that took out that pig, I'm nobody's backup. In any case you can be MY backup."

"Well at least you weren't looking for trouble this time."

Taking a drink from her bottle she smiled sadly. "Yeah well, it seems that I don't need to look for trouble. It finds me with no problem."

The loud rock and roll song started playing again. He looked at the jukebox and then at her. "You really like this song don't you?"

"It was playing earlier and when I listened to the words it pretty much said everything I was feeling and was trying to rationalize at the moment."

Jason looked at his watched. "It's late. Why don't I take you home?"

"I have time."

"What about the baby?"

"Cameron is with my Grams and besides he sleeps all night anyway."

**_Don't leave me hanging  
In a city so dead  
Held up so high  
On such a breakable thread_**

"So..." They both said at the same time and laughed at the other's expression.

"Who would've thought we were still connected?" She said smiling.

Jason's brow lifted and took another gulp of beer. He looked at Elizabeth again. The broken girl that he met at this very same table five years ago was gone and in her place was a breathtaking woman that seemed as broken.

"What are you doing here Elizabeth?"

"The same thing you are I guess. Trying to figure out where we went wrong."  
  
**_You were all the things I thought I knew  
And I thought we could be..._**  
  
**_You were everything, everything that I wanted  
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it_**

"Look, Elizabeth that's all in the past. We moved on. There's nothing else to figure out."

"Then why are you here, Jason?"

"I-"

She looked at him and he didn't meet her gaze. "Look at me."

The soft request made his heart flutter inside his chest and he had to take a deep breath. Why was she doing this? They've been over so long, why drag all this any longer. He couldn't let her in again. So he closed his eyes and opened them meeting her blue eyes.

Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears. But she didn't let them fall. Cold, unfeeling, lifeless eyes where looking back at her, it was gone. The shine in his eyes that was just theirs was gone.

_**And all the memories, so close to me, just fade away  
All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending  
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...**_

She nodded to him then. "I understand. I won't bother you again about this. I don't even know why I came here. I didn't know you would be here, if I had I wouldn't have come. I just, I needed to forget for a while. I guess I did forget more than I thought. I'm sorry. I'll go now."

Her hands were shaking and her words were coming out a mile per hour. He had hurt her again. Why was he such a jerk_? Because you don't want to get hurt again and she has the power to hurt you more than a bullet to the side._ ****Where the hell is that voice coming from?

She gathered her purse and dropped a couple of bill on the table. She stood up a bit dizzy and she had to hold on the chair to gather her self. She looked back at Jason and a lone tear fell from her eyes. "Good bye, Jason."**_  
_**

_It's now or never Jason. _He stood then and was by her side his hand around her small wrist. "D-don't."

"What?"

"Don't go. Don't say good bye."

"Jason, you don't have to do this. You've just made it clear that you don't want anything to do with me anymore."

"I-"

"You don't have to say anything. I understand, really I do. Carly was right. I hurt you and jerked you around. I took you for granted and I never told you how I felt. I doubted you, walked out on you and told you to rot in hell. I brought all this on myself."

_**You've got your dumb friends  
I know what they say  
They tell you I'm difficult  
But so are they**_

"Carly knows nothing of my feelings for you."

She blinked and looked up at him. Did he just use present tense?

"What happened between us was as much my fault as it was yours. Please stay."

"Okay."

His hand slid from her wrist to her hand. Hand in hand they walked back to the table and sat down.

_**But they don't know me  
Do they even know you?  
All the things you hide from me  
All the shit that you do**_

"Now what?"

"Now we try to be honest with each other."

"Honest..."

"I know what you're thinking, Elizabeth. I know you don't trust me. But I swear I've been completely honest with you."

"You're lying now."

"Okay, maybe not completely honest. But I was as honest as I could be without betraying Sonny and the organization. Elizabeth, that night at the penthouse I told you there were things about my life I couldn't tell you about."

"I never asked you to draw me a picture of the plan you had with Sonny to bring down Alcazar Jason. It was never about your work. It was about trust. You didn't trust me enough to come to me for help. All you had to say was that you and Sonny had a plan and that it might affect us for a while. You just had to say that everything was going to be alright and that you would tell me as soon as it was safe."

"It was really difficult for me to keep a secret from you. That was one of the reasons why I stayed away. I couldn't face you knowing that if you asked I'll have to lie directly. Omission seemed better at the time."

"So that's why you had to go to Courtney?"

"She was a job, Elizabeth."

"Come on Jason. You can't tell me you didn't feel anything at all when you were sitting at the Oasis watching her take her clothes off."

"Yeah, I did feel something. I felt pity for her and I felt like a pig for having to be witnessing that. I also felt sick to my stomach. I was so tired. All I really wanted was to go home and see you and maybe sit with you on the couch and cuddle and fall asleep with my arms around you."

"Jason..."

"After you walked out she tried to talk some sense into me. She wanted us to fix everything, but I convinced myself that you were safer away from me. I saw the opportunity to keep you safe from my world."

"Even if that meant that I was going to hurt worst than any bullet could ever hurt me?"

"I just wanted you safe."

"And I just wanted to be with you."

_**You were all the things I thought I knew  
And I thought we could be...**_

"You couldn't handle my life."

"And Courtney could?"

"That's different."

"How so? You tried with her. You married her for God's sake!"

"By that time I knew you were better off. We weren't friends anymore; Carly was always pushing and Sonny..."

"So that's it. You decided that I couldn't be a part of your life. What ever happen at letting people make their own decisions? What did you just forgot that I was the one that found you bleeding in the snow? That I was the one that had a bomb on my studio and that I was the one you tried to stop being friends with? I was the one being shot at, I was the one locked in a crypt... It was my decision and I chose you. It's always being you."

"No it wasn't. I was always your second choice Elizabeth. First was Lucky, then it was Zander..."

"That's not fair, Jason. I explained everything. You know I wasn't in love with Zander. I was in love with you."

**_  
You were everything, everything that I wanted  
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it_**

Jason looked up then and found the truth of her statement in her eyes. She was in love with him... why didn't she say something then. He would have thrown caution to the window and maybe things would've been so different now.

**_And all the memories, so close to me, just fade away  
All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending  
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._**

"But all that is said and done now. It's over and we can't go back."

"Yeah, I guess there's no use looking back now." He added.

_**It's nice to know you were there  
**_

"I wouldn't change a thing Jason. Well okay, maybe I would change the ending...but the rest of it, the good parts they are all in my heart."

_**Thanks for acting like you cared  
And making me feel like I was the only one  
**_

"You were the first person to ever believe in me... besides Sonny and Robin I mean. You saw something good inside me and accepted me as I was. You never tried to change me."

_**It's nice to know we had it all**_

"If only we could have been more honest then..."

_**  
Thanks for watching as I fall**_

"I never told you I was in love with you, did I. I remember being about to blurted out at the hospital, when you came out of the crypt."

"Why didn't you say it? Things could have been so much different."

"I was scared. I didn't know how you felt and I was just realizing that what I was feeling was really love and not caring or wanting or friendship."

_**  
And letting me know we were done**_

"I guess we were never meant to be more than friends."

"I guess..."**_  
_**

_**You were everything, everything that I wanted  
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it And all the memories, so close to me, just fade away  
All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending  
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...**_

"I thought you were pretending to try. When I walked out and you came to Kelly's the next day my hopes were rekindled."

"But you still pulled away."

"I was testing you. I wanted to be sure that you really wanted me. And then I saw you with Courtney and all the jealousy came back... I was mad. You used to know when I was acting and then all of the sudden you took my every word as creed."

"I went to you at Luke's..."

"Yeah, to tell me you were married to Brenda."

"What about Ric?"

"I wanted him to be you and he wasn't. He acted like he was and by the time I realized what he really was, it was too late. I had already fallen for him. But that is over. It hurt, but with Ric we had a beginning, middle and end."

"With Courtney it was the same. I was in so much pain and she was such a great friend. She was always there to listen to me and to comfort me, I guess I made my self believe I was falling for her and then without realizing it, it had really happened. But that's over too. It hurt a lot but we too, had a beginning, middle and end."

**_You were everything, everything that I wanted  
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it _**

"So, where does this leave us?"

"In the same place it began. We can be friends again and try not to make the same mistakes."

**_And all the memories, so close to me, just fade away  
All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending_**

Jason let out a long exhausted sigh. At the same place it began, he thought. After so long he'll have to go back to pretend he wasn't in love with her. "That sounds good."

Elizabeth smiled softly. At least she had her friend back, even though she still had to pretend that she wasn't in love with him. She looked at her watch and realized how late it really was. "I have to go."

"Want a ride? I have my bike outside."

Her eyes twinkled and a surge of electricity ran through him. Her big smile brought the light back inside her and it made him smile too. It had been too long since he saw her all bright and genuinely happy.

"I thought you were never going to ask."

The bike roared up the street and soon it came to an end in front of Audrey Hardy's house. Elizabeth got off of the bike and took the helmet from her head. She gave it to Jason with a huge smile on her face.

"That was amazing. It's been so long..."

"I know what you mean. You can be my passenger anytime you want."

They looked up to the starts and then back at each other. "I guess I have to go inside now."

"Yeah, it's late."

"Bye, Jason."

"See you later Elizabeth."

She smiled at him and turned to walk upstairs. Jake was right sometimes a full circle took time, but she was definitely ready.**_  
_**

Jason watched her make her way up the stairs and to the porch. He pulled down the bike rest and got off . "Elizabeth!"

She turned and found him making his way to the house. She walked down the first step and asked him worried if something was wrong.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her flushed against him. Their faces only inches apart when he spoke in a husky and sexy voice. "No, nothing is wrong. You wanted me to be honest." She nodded when she couldn't find her voice.

"That night five years ago I was dying to do this..."

And then before she even got the chance to move back, he took her lips with his in a soft and tender exploration. Her hands found their way around his neck and started to play with the soft hairs at the back of his neck, his arms where around her waist. His tongue asked for entrance and she complied happily. After a minute they both came out for air.

"Jason."

"Good night Elizabeth."

That was all he said, before going back to his bike, turning it on and ridding away from the house.

_**Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...**_

**_Song Credit: Avril Lavinge xxHappy Ending xx_**


End file.
